30 



BULLETIN 353, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



publication by McKee/ who called attention at that time to the fact 

 that because some varieties of alfalfa after cutting lose moisture 

 more rapidly than others the field weights wiU be, incomparable imless 

 sufficient time has elapsed to insure a uniform moisture content. 



Table XI. — Rate of loss of moisture in alfalfa varieties during the early stages of curing, 

 at CMco, Cal, in 1910, 1911, and 1912. 





Time elapsed. 



Arabian. 



Peruvian. 



Ordinary. 



Time of weighing. 



1 





1 



Weight. 



Loss in 

 weight. 



Weight. 



Loss in 

 weight. 



Weight. 









1 



O 



-3 



o 

 Ph 



Loss in 

 weight 



Test A: 



June 22, 1910 









254.0 



98.8 

 76.7 



400.0 

 243.8 

 174.3 

 145.1 

 83.6 



100 

 73 

 41 

 36 

 24 

 22 



100 



78.5 

 60.5 

 34.5 

 26 



Per ct. 

 



61.1 

 69.8 







39.1 

 56.4 

 63.7 

 79.1 







27.0 

 59.0 

 64.0 

 76.0 

 78.0 







22.5 

 39.5 

 65.5 

 74.0 



276.0 

 129.7 

 9L6 



400.0 

 271.3 

 212.3 

 172.9 

 83.3 



100 



78 

 48 

 42 

 24 

 22 



100 

 83.5 

 65.5 

 31.5 

 24.5 



Perct. 

 



53.0 

 66.8 





 32.2 

 46.9 

 56.8 

 79.2 







22.0 

 52.0 

 58.0 

 76.0 

 78.0 







16.5 

 34.5 

 68.5 

 75.5 



Grams. 

 240.0 

 107.5 

 83.3 



400.0 

 269.3 

 205.8 

 175.9 

 82.5 



Per ct. 

 



June 23, 1910 





24 



72 





55.2 



June 25, 1910 





65^3 



Test B:i 



Jmie9, 19112— 

 10.22a. m 









11.52 a. m 





1 

 3 

 5 



30 

 "38' 



32.7 



1.22p. m . 





48.6 



4 p. m 





56.0 



Sept. 27, 1911 



110 



79.4 



Test C: 



June 9, 1911— 



9.07 a. m 









11a. m 





1 



4 

 6 



53 

 53 

 53 









2p.m 









4 p. m 









June 12, 1911 



3 

 60 







Aug. 8, 1911 













Test D: 



June 4, 1912— 



10 a. m 













11 a. m 





1 

 2 

 4 

 6 











12 a. m 













2p. m 













4 p. m. 

























1 The weights of test B are an averageof two samples in each case. Theleaves constituted 56.4 percent 

 of the weight in the Arabian variety, 52.5 per cent in the Peruvian, and 49.8 per cent in the ordinary. 



2 First weight was taken about five minutes after cutting. 



These data indicate very clearly that the rate of loss during the 

 first four or five hours at Chico, Cal., greatly exceeds the loss during 

 a like period at Arlington Farm, Va. This is doubtless due to both 

 the higher temperature and the lower humidity of the atmosphere 

 at Chico, the loss during the first 1^ hours at Chico being nearly equal 

 to that during the first 3 hours at Arhngton Farm. 



In connection with these results it is well to note that the weighings 

 of alfalfa at Chico were made in the month of June, while those at 

 Arhngton Farm were made in October. 



It is also interesting to note that in tests B and C the Arabian 

 variety lost moisture faster for the first few hours after cutting than 

 the Peruvian or the ordinary alfalfa, but that in the end it had prac- 

 tically the same percentage of dry matter. A high percentage of 

 leaves is usually thought to indicate a high moistm'e content, but 

 the Arabian has 6.6 per cent more leaves than the ordinary, and yet 

 the total moisture content is about the same for the two varieties. 



1 McKee, Roland. Arabian alfalfa. In U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Cir. 119, p. 25-30, 1913. 



